Michigan Court Summary

The Michigan trial court system consists of Circuit Courts, District Courts, Probate Courts, Municipal Courts, and The Court of Claims.

Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over all cases, but usually only handle cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. District Courts, Probate Courts and Municipal Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of cases. The Court of Claims has limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil cases against the State of Michigan or one of its departments.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in Michigan

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Michigan.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Circuit Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts	Municipal Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Circuit Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts	Municipal Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions		$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts$		$Some Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the Municipal Courts$
Domestic Relations	Circuit Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts	Municipal Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Circuit Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts	Municipal Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Circuit Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts	Municipal Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Circuit Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts	Municipal Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Note: Some courts in Michigan are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:

The Court of Claims

Michigan Courts Summary